Page 196 - EMMA

Emma

And the bell was rung, and the carriages spoken for. A
few minutes more, and Emma hoped to see one
troublesome companion deposited in his own house, to
get sober and cool, and the other recover his temper and

happiness when this visit of hardship were over.
The carriage came: and Mr. Woodhouse, always the
first object on such occasions, was carefully attended to his
own by Mr. Knightley and Mr. Weston; but not all that
either could say could prevent some renewal of alarm at
the sight of the snow which had actually fallen, and the
discovery of a much darker night than he had been
prepared for. ‘He was afraid they should have a very bad
drive. He was afraid poor Isabella would not like it. And
there would be poor Emma in the carriage behind. He did
not know what they had best do. They must keep as
much together as they could;’ and James was talked to,
and given a charge to go very slow and wait for the other
carriage.
Isabella stept in after her father; John Knightley,
forgetting that he did not belong to their party, stept in
after his wife very naturally; so that Emma found, on
being escorted and followed into the second carriage by
Mr. Elton, that the door was to be lawfully shut on them,
and that they were to have a tete-a-tete drive. It would

195 of 745